Suspended Smith County Judge Resigns

SMITH COUNTY (Staff/AP) — The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has announced Smith County Judge Joel Baker has agreed to resolve the pending SCJC investigation against him by signing a Voluntary Resignation Agreement. According to KETK, the Commission approved the agreement. The effective date of his resignation from the office of Smith County Judge will be the earlier of the resolution of the pending TOMA criminal case or November 4, 2016. The Commission’s Suspension without Pay Order remains in effect until the effective date of this agreement.

In March following allegations of judicial misconduct, the SCOJC launched an investigation into the actions of Baker.

Baker, who was up until 2016 a member of the Commission, was appointed to the Commission in July 2009 by the Texas Supreme Court. According to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct website, Baker’s term was set to expire on November 19, 2017. Following the announcement of the investigation, Baker resigned from his post with the Commission. In November 2015, the FBI and Texas Attorney General’s Office began investigating the Smith County Commissioners Court. The investigation surrounds an alleged illegal executive session meeting on August 12, 2014, in which the commissioners agreed to purchase traffic cameras.

Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham recused himself from the case on May 21, 2015. Prosecution will be handled by a prosecutor from the Attorney General’s Office.

In April 2015, Baker announced Smith County had entered into an agreement with American Traffic Solutions to launch a school zone safety program. The controversial decision was delayed the following month. A few days after Baker announced the program would be delayed, a Smith County watchdog group filed a formal complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Baker is also the subject of an ongoing sexting investigation.